His Reason
by Callie Elizabeth
Summary: When the X-Men find a child on the streets of New York it leads an unexpected revelation.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable, it all belongs to Marvel.

Author's Note: I am not following any particular comic series, and have changed various things about the history of the X-Men characters. If that bothers you, then this story isn't for you.

Summary: When the X-Men find a child on the streets of New York it leads an unexpected revelation.

His Reason

The X-Men had been called to an FOH rally in the city. It wasn't anything unusual and they were able to break it up before anyone was severely hurt. There wasn't even that much property damage, the FOH must not have been in the mood for a major fight that day. Or they simply hadn't expected the X-Men to show up.

They found the boy completely by accident, but the timing of the discovery suggested that it had been fated. They had been about to leave when a loud crash caught their attention. They had believed it was one of the FOH members still harassing a mutant that hadn't gotten away yet, so they followed the noise.

Logan saw him first as they accidentally blocked his escape out of the small alley that they heard the noise come from. The child was small, and fast. He ran from them the instant they blocked his path, unfortunately he had no other route of escape.

"Child, we mean you no harm," Storm regally tried to reassure him.

The boy tried to find refuge behind a large dumpster that none of the X-Men would ever be able to fit behind. Logan could hear him breathing in panic as he moved towards the dumpster. "Go away," they heard the small voice plead.

"We just want to help," Jean tried to reassure him.

The two women peaked around the dumpster surrounding the small boy and unintentionally increased his panic. "I don't have anything," he tried to assure them. "I didn't steal anything." He had attempted to crawl into the dumpster in search of food when the pile of items he was using to reach the opening fell. He knew he should have just gone hungry another night, but the ache in his starving stomach wouldn't allow it.

"Alright we move it," Cyclops ordered and motioned for Wolverine to grab the other end.

"No, Scott I'll do it," Jean suggested. Cyclops nodded and she lifted the dumpster with her telekinesis instead.

The boy ran, but Wolverine was much faster. "No, please," the child pleaded. "I don't have anything." His voice was small and he trembled fiercely in Logan's arms.

"We are just trying to help you," Storm informed him once again as he struggled in vain against Wolverine's hold.

"Let me go," he continued to panic, frightened tears rolling down his hollow cheeks.

"Sweetheart," Jean said gently as she stood beside him, "we aren't going to hurt you."

"That's what they all say," the boy informed her.

Jean looked up at Wolverine who shook his head. He didn't know what to do, kids weren't his thing. He wasn't even sure he should be holding this one against his will.

"Where are your parents?" Cyclops asked without approaching them.

"Don't have any," the boy replied. His dirty hair hung in his face as he tried to kick Wolverine with worn out sneakers that his toes poked through.

"If you would just come with us we can get you something to eat and a bed to sleep in, then we'll talk in the morning," Storm tried to convince him.

"Just let me go," the boy insisted.

"Cyke," Logan said trying to catch the leader's attention, "I ain't gonna hold him forever."

The boy had given up his struggles mostly due to exhaustion and they all noticed. "Will you come back with us please?" Jean asked him once again.

He didn't answer her.

"What's your name?" Storm asked him when he failed to reply.

He again remained silent and still in Logan's arms.

"Perhaps my brother can help when we return," Storm suggested.

"Please, will you come with us?" Jean asked him once again.

He nodded because he realized that he wouldn't be able to escape them. He knew that they would most likely take him whether he agreed or not.

They boarded the Blackbird without any further struggle and flew the short distance home to the mansion.

The Professor greeted them in the hanger and their young companion was asleep by the time they arrived. Hank stood beside Xavier with a gurney, he was already prepared to help the child. Cyclops exited the plane with the kid in his arms and placed him on the waiting gurney.

"Did you get his consent before he passed out?" Xavier asked worried.

"Of course Sir," Scott informed him.

The group followed closely behind Hank as he wheeled the gurney down to the medlab. Hank was able to do a brief exam before he awoke. Panic filled him when he realized he had no idea where he was and no hope of escaping all of them. He jumped off the gurney and hid in a corner when he wasn't able to find an easy exit. "Please don't hurt me," his small voice pleaded.

"Where's the Cajun?" Logan asked as he remembered Storm's suggestion, "maybe he could talk to the kid."

"Sweetheart, we are only trying to help you," Jean reassured with Storm by her side.

"Go find him Logan," Cyclops ordered.

"Why me?" Wolverine growled.

"Your suggestion," Cyclops informed him with a shrug.

"No it was Ro's," he corrected.

"She's busy," he countered.

Looking back towards the girls Logan realized that he was right.

"I have already asked Remy to help and he has declined," the Professor informed them with a frown.

"Well in that case Logan, bring him down here any way necessary," Scott ordered.

That made it a little more enjoyable for Logan, "Sure thing," he said with a smile.

Logan didn't receive a response when he knocked on Remy's door but he opened it anyways after a moment.

"We need your help kid," Logan told him without paying much attention to what Remy was doing.

"I already told the Professor, I can't help you," Remy informed him. He was seated on the windowsill smoking. He had gone through a whole pack of cigarettes since his conversation with the Professor only a short time ago.

"Can't or won't?" Logan asked angry. "They are two very different things kid," he insisted.

"Can't," Remy insisted while taking another drag from his cigarette.

"Storm's too busy taking care of a scared 10 year old to be up here convincing you to help," Logan informed him. "I've been told I can carry you down there if you won't cooperate," Logan explained. Logan was angry because he couldn't understand why Remy didn't want to help a kid.

"I can't help," he insisted again while looking out the open window that he was perched on. He had tried to keep his voice steady but was pretty sure that Logan would pick up on his nervousness.

"You were that kid once Gumbo, why won't you help him?" He tried not to sound angry because he undeniably noticed that Remy's previous answer had been broken by emotion. Now Logan was confused and determined to figure out what was wrong.

Remy was glad that his sunglasses were still on his face because it made it easier to hide how much Logan's words hurt him. He didn't want to have this conversation. The X-Men didn't need him; they'd do better with the kid downstairs without him.

"Remy," Logan said his name as he took a step closer to the younger mutant. "What's going on? I'm just asking you to help us figure out how you managed to trust your Pops when he took you in. You were what, eight?" the question was asked as a way to get Remy into the conversation.

It didn't work because Remy continued to stare out the window pretending to ignore Logan. He wasn't able to completely ignore the older man, but he seriously tried.

Logan was just about at his breaking point, he was angry that he had been sent up to get the Cajun, he was annoyed that Remy insisted on not helping and he was confused by his insistence that he couldn't help. He'd be dragging the kid's ass down to the medlab one way or another very soon. "You really want me to carry you over my shoulder kicking and screaming like some brat?" He asked Remy.

"No," Remy said the word quickly and looked back at Logan. "Tell them I can't help. I don't know how to help Logan."

"You're going to need to explain that a little better Cajun," Logan insisted. His patience was long gone, and Remy only had a few more seconds to give him a good answer before he executed his threat.

"I can't help him trust the X-Men," Remy insisted, he hoped that the answer would be good enough.

"I know you don't completely trust us kid, but this isn't about the X-Men. How did LeBeau convince you that he wanted to help you?"

Remy's hands trembled as he tried to light a new cigarette and the action didn't go unnoticed by Logan. He took several shaky breaths to steady himself before turning back to Logan. "He didn't," Remy admitted.

The admission shocked and confused Logan even more and he couldn't stop himself from asking, "what do you mean kid?"

"I made him up," Remy explained.

"Bullshit kid, you have enough stories about that family. . ."

"Oui, I always pretended that they were real. I made up stories about them by watchin other people. Needed to convince myself that there was something to keep livin for." Remy admitted uneasily. "Sometimes . . ." Remy started the thought but then abandoned it quickly. He was going to say, sometimes he even convinced himself that they were real, but he knew Logan wouldn't understand that. He would only see this as one more lie that Remy had told the X-Men.

Logan wasn't sure what to think. He stood still in the middle of Remy's room and was now unsure of what his next move should be. He didn't smell a lie so he was convinced that Remy was telling him the truth. The harshness of what he had just been told had never occurred to him. "How did you survive?" He asked.

Remy cringed, "like anyone on the streets survives." He wasn't going into details no matter what Logan said next.

Logan sat down in the chair by Remy's desk and absentmindedly ran a hand through his own hair. "Why not tell us the truth when you came here?" he asked.

"I meant to," Remy admitted. A long pause followed the short answer as he tried to form his next thoughts into an understandable sentence. He took a deep breath and once again faced Logan, "Someone asked who I was and Remy LeBeau slipped out," he admitted.

"What's your real name kid?" Logan asked.

"I don't think I have one," he admitted. "Maybe Remy's real," he added as an afterthought, "but I never had a real last name."

"I never smelled ya lying when you told me about your family," Logan admitted.

Remy's face twitched into a small, sad smile. That's because they were real to him.

"You've never trusted anyone have you kid?" Logan asked him.

Remy actually wished that he could agree with that statement, "made the mistake once," he admitted truthfully. He had tried to trust once and the disaster that his life became after that convinced him never to give anyone that power again. Why was he admitting all this to Logan?

"Alright," Logan stated which visibly confused Remy. "You've convinced me you can't help," Logan continued when he saw Remy's confusion.

The same sad smile graced Remy's face once again. He looked back out his window and nodded slowly.

"You can trust me kid," Logan stated as he rose from the chair.

That brought Remy's attention back to him but he remained quiet.

"I'm gonna tell them I couldn't find you," Logan informed him.

"They won't believe that," Remy countered.

"You can trust me kid," Logan repeated once again before walking out of Remy's room.


	2. Chapter 2

He crept down to the kitchen careful not to disturb the silence of the mansion at the early morning hour. He hadn't been able to sleep since his admission to Logan, but it had taken several hours to convince himself to leave the safe confines of his room. Even after that he had sat atop the stairs for a long time as well. He entered the kitchen and sighed in relief when he found it empty.

He walked into the pantry and retrieved a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter. He deposited the items on the kitchen table before pulling a plate out of the cupboard and a knife out of the drawer. He opened the fridge in search of jelly and took some milk out as well. At this point if someone caught him they would think that he was only looking for a midnight snack.

To most people it was just a simple snack and he felt it was too often taken for granted. He remembered the first time he bit into the sweet treat and how full it made his stomach feel. There were very few foods that could do the same thing. He would never admit that even now when hunger wasn't a problem; it was still his favorite food. He made two sandwiches and considered making a third, but decided against it. He cut them diagonally because that was the way Stormy always seemed to do it. Then he poured milk into a coffee mug because it would be easier to carry.

Silently he crept to the hidden elevator that would take him to the medlab. Hesitation still lingered as the doors closed and the lift began to move downward. He wasn't sure who he would find down there at this time of night, but he pushed on regardless. As the door opened on the ground floor he had an overwhelming urge to flee. He forced himself to step out of the elevator instead and almost spilled the milk he carried when he made sure he stopped to put on his sunglasses in order to hide his eyes. It was already dark down there and he blinked for a moment to adjust his vision as the glasses made it even darker, but he thought they might be necessary.

As he stood just outside the door to the medlab he second guessed his chosen meal, he shouldn't have simply thought about his favorite. This was a kid and normal kids like candy and pizza, not milk and sandwiches. He frowned and walked back towards the elevator as he realized that he had been right earlier; he couldn't help, he didn't know how. He stopped as he made it halfway to the elevator and turned around again. He decided that he may as well leave the food down there in case the boy woke up. No one would guess that it was him.

He opened the door silently like necessity had taught him too. He had spent enough of his life invisible to everyone around him to know how to sneak in unheard. He heard Hank's soft snores from his office and found the main lab empty. He almost left the plate on a table there, but couldn't stop himself from peaking into the adjourning rooms. He trembled slightly at the sight of the small child, still dirty, lying on the medlab bed. Jean was asleep in a chair beside him and Remy knew it was probably only a matter of minutes before his presence would wake her.

He walked towards the nightstand and his barefooted steps resonated loudly in his ears. As he reached his destination he set the cup upon the nightstand while only briefly taking his attention away from the people in the room. As Remy turned back the boy turned frightened eyes towards him and Remy almost dropped the plate. The boy moved to sit against the headboard of the small bed and pulled his knees up to his chin while keeping Remy pinned with his eyes. The scrutiny was too much for Remy and he placed the plate on the bed in distraction.

He watched the boy's eyes fall upon the plate then look towards Jean. It took Remy a moment to realize that he looked beyond Jean at the table beside her. A plateful of uneaten food sat atop it neglected. Remy looked back towards his sad offering and frowned as he knew it didn't compare to the full chicken dinner with potatoes and vegetables that the boy had obviously declined earlier. "Sorry," he whispered in a voice that was barely audible.

He didn't know what else to say so he quickly turned and walked back towards the door. "The price?" he heard the child ask nervously and he froze momentarily as bad memories washed upon him. He had asked that question more times then he would ever care to admit. Answering the boy without giving a price would accomplish nothing and he knew that wholeheartedly. Just as Logan had said a few hours earlier, he had been that kid once and on the streets everything had a price.

He turned around slowly to make sure that the boy knew that he wouldn't make a sudden movement. "Your name," Remy offered. It sounded reasonable enough to him and although he doubted the X-Men would understand, he knew that the child in front of him would.

The boy offered a slight hopeful smile and Remy wasn't sure if the relief that washed over him belonged to him or the child. "Cameron," he offered before looking back down at the plate.

"I'm Remy," he replied nervously. "It's yours Cameron," he offered with a nod. "The milk too," he added without gesture.

"Thank you," the boy said almost inaudibly before reaching for the plate and drawing it to himself quickly in case Remy suddenly changed his mind. Remy backed up towards the door and glanced over at Jean and noticed with surprise that she was somehow still asleep. "Will you be back?" Cameron asked with a mouthful of food.

"Yes," Remy assured as he glanced back at the boy. "But I gotta go," he added as he opened the door.

"Okay," Cameron replied as he continued to quickly eat the meal that Remy had provided.

Remy moved silently back upstairs, intent on getting back to his room quickly. He realized that what he had worried about the last few hours had been confirmed by his trip downstairs. Cameron would be helped instead of neglected the way Remy had been as a child. Cameron would be accepted by the X-Men in a way that Remy could only dream about. Cameron was going to be given the life that Remy had always wanted, but would never have. He was scared of a starving 10 year old boy who had probably gone through hell on the streets because Cameron invoked a jealousy stronger then Remy had ever experienced, and that terrified him.

He was so preoccupied as he opened the door to his room that he jumped when he heard Logan's voice. "Kiddo," the man said from down the hall. Remy ignored him and proceeded into his room before closing the door and locking it. He couldn't deal with Logan right now; he could barely deal with himself.

He walked across the room and lay down on his bed before pulling the covers up to his chin. He ignored the knock on his door and the rattling of the doorknob that followed a few seconds after. He hoped that Logan could take the hint and leave him alone. He reached into a drawer in his nightstand and pulled out an old rosary that he found when he was too young to understand what it was. He held it against his chest as he whispered prayers of forgiveness to whatever deity was listening that night. He didn't want to hold any bitterness towards a child.

He allowed tears to leak from his eyes and felt them burn his cheeks because he knew that he didn't deserve them. "Remy," he heard Logan say through the doorway and he wondered why the man was still there. "Open the door," Logan suggested, but Remy pulled his blankets tighter instead. He kissed the rosary when his prayers had ended and watched teardrops briefly caress the small cross. He once again held it to his chest as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Logan stood in the hallway much longer then he probably should have, but Remy's revelation earlier that night had him worried about the kid. He heard his nearly silent sobs through the door and didn't want Remy to have to deal with the harsh reality alone. He had no desire to break into the room if he wasn't wanted, but he lingered and let the kid know he was there just in case. When he heard gentle prayers turn into even breathes he walked back to his own room.

The next morning came quicker than any of them had anticipated. Jean awoke to find the little boy sound asleep with all the covers of the bed pulled up over him and clenched in his small hands. The empty plate beside him confused her as she looked back at the food the boy had refused the night before. She smiled with relief as she lifted it off the bed and found crumbs upon the comforter.

She picked up the dish from the table beside her as well and walked into the lab room quietly. She wasn't surprised to find Hank already awake and working on a project. "Good Morning," she greeted with a smile. He replied with the same greeting only briefly turning away from his calculations. She wasn't insulted by his lack of interest in conversing, it was early and he was busy. "I'm going to go get some coffee," she explained. "Let me know if he wakes up."

"Of course," he replied. "How did our young friend sleep?" he inquired.

"Miraculously I believe he slept well," she explained. "Do you know who came down last night? I'm surprised they didn't wake me."

He looked surprised as well, "I wasn't awoken by anyone's entrance," he confirmed.

"Someone convinced him to eat," she said as she held out the empty plate.

"That is a relief," Hank admitted.

Jean nodded before walking away from him in search of coffee. She happily greeted her husband as she entered the kitchen and Scott stood up and kissed her good morning before inviting her to sit down while he poured her some coffee and gathered a breakfast plate. Ororo sat at the table eating her own breakfast and she greeted Jean with a smile as she joined her at the table. "How was our guest last night?" she questioned when early morning greetings finished being exchanged.

"Surprisingly good," she explained. "It started out rough, but he calmed down. He's still asleep, I asked Hank to alert me if he wakes."

"I shall sit with him a while," Ororo suggested. "You deserve a break." Jean had been the logical choice to stay downstairs overnight because Ororo's claustrophobia prevented her from doing so and they all felt the girls would have an easier time reassuring the boy. He hadn't talked to them at all, but that wasn't unexpected.

Meanwhile, upstairs Logan lingered in his room longer than usual as he listened for the Cajun to open his door. He wasn't going to wait very long, but he couldn't stop himself from stalling his descent to breakfast. He needed to at least offer to talk to the kid about what he had revealed the day before. Remy would need someone to talk to about it and Logan knew he was the only one who knew Remy's secret. He tried to prevent judgmental thoughts from clouding his view of the situation because the harshness of Remy's admission trumped the lie.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much to Prexistence, gryphenvoid, BJ2, Heather Valentine-Highwind, Vickie63, BlkDiamond, and lelann37 for your encouragement, it is very much appreciated! Thanks for reading, Callie


	3. Chapter 3

Logan finally got sick of waiting for Remy and knocked on the kid's door on his way down the hall. "Come on Cajun, open up," he requested as he tried the handle only to find that it was still locked. That was new, Remy never locked his door; none of the X-Men normally did. All he heard was silence so he gave up and moved on.

Remy heard him knock, but chose to ignore the man once again. He didn't know what to say to Logan because they really had nothing to talk about. Logan knowing the truth didn't change anything, there was nothing to change. He was the outcast of the X-Men anyways so it made sense that he was even more fucked up then they already imagined.

He tried to calm himself down and pull his usual arrogant mask back in place before leaving his room. He had given Logan a two hour head start and hoped that the man was busy with something else by now. He walked down the stairs trying to convey a carefree air, but was certain he failed pretty miserably. He was relieved to find the kitchen empty and poured out the leftover coffee before starting a new pot. He pulled out a few eggs and his stomach tightened with guilt as he hoped that Cameron had eaten. He placed the eggs back in the fridge and chose an apple instead. He didn't deserve to eat a meal if the boy downstairs was too scared to accept one.

He poured himself some coffee and sat down on a kitchen stool by the island. He looked out the window above the sink and considered leaving; this situation was proving to be too much for him to handle. When Jean entered the room he struggled to portray a casual air and simply managed to drop the half eaten apple and made no attempt to grab it before it rolled off the table. "Good morning," she greeted while refilling her coffee mug before picking the apple up for him.

"Mornin Jeanie," he replied perhaps trying too hard to keep his tone light.

"How was your night?" she asked. "Logan said you went out before we returned?"

So that's how the man had convinced them not to keep looking for him, "Oui, it was bien." He tried to think of something to add to the sentence but when he couldn't he tried to stall by taking a sip of his coffee. The way she looked at him made him nervous because he realized that she already knew he had been downstairs.

"That's good," she replied but he could easily read the doubt in her eyes. "Do you think you'll come downstairs to meet our guest?" she asked expectantly.

"Non," Remy replied.

Jean sighed and Remy wondered how she would chose to call him out on his lies. His mind raced as he already began to prepare excuses. "Cameron's been asking for you Remy," she finally admitted directly. "I'm not sure why you're hesitant, but we really need your help with this." She placed her hand on his shoulder as she spoke to him softly.

He nodded then picked up his coffee cup emptying the dark contents in one scalding gulp. "Did he eat?" Remy asked as he stopped pretending.

"Only whatever you gave him last night," she admitted. "Sandwiches, right?"

"Oui," he breathed out the word as he stood up from his seat and brought his cup to the sink and threw the rest of his apple away in the garbage.

"What do you suggest for this morning?" she asked.

He shrugged but kept his back to her as he braced his hands on the sink and once again stared out the window. 'Food' he wanted to reply sarcastically, but he didn't. "Something warm," he finally suggested.

"Eggs? Sausage?" Something like that?" she questioned.

"Non," he replied. "You not want to make him sick," he added in defense of his suggestion.

She didn't verbally reply so Remy assumed she had nodded her head behind him. "Then what do you suggest?" she asked again.

"Oatmeal, Grits, something warm," he insisted again. "Fruit maybe?" He was just making this stuff up; the kid would probably be fine with anything. He needed to stop pretending it was him sitting downstairs. "He will probably eat anything," he admitted embarrassed that he had been so specific seconds before.

"I like your suggestion," she assured as she came to stand next to him. "This reminds you too much of your own life, doesn't it?" she asked.

"Non," Remy insisted. She frowned in reply and he walked towards a door that led to the backyard.

"I thought you agreed to help?" she questioned worried.

"Need a smoke," he informed her, "you get something ready and I'll take it down."

She nodded and offered a smile, "thank you." Before he could leave she added, "I got him some clothes and a bear this morning too."

He nodded and walked out the door without a word. He sat on the grass and pressed a cigarette to his lips. He had been called out much sooner than he had hoped, but if he had been honest with himself he knew Jean had been awake the night before.

.....

Remy offered a small smile as he entered the room holding a stuffed bear, a bowl of oatmeal and a bottle of apple juice. Cameron looked up at him with a small smile that stopped the child's tears. "Hi Remy," he said shyly from his seat upon the bed.

Remy glanced at Ororo who sat on a chair beside the bed. She looked at Remy with sad hopeless eyes, but greeted him with a smile as well. The rest of the X-Men tried to gain the child's trust, but Cameron only seemed to accept Remy. Jean and Ororo both tried to be patient, but they were clearly hurt by the negative reception.

"Hi Cameron," Remy replied instinctively knowing how important it was to use the boy's name. He fleetingly wished he could explain that to the others who persisted to call him by anything other than his name. He would never tell them that their nicknames hurt, no matter how innocent they were meant. There were a lot of things he would never tell them because they could never understand.

Storm approached him and kissed his cheek softly before exiting the room. He looked down at the floor as she left, allowing his hair to fall into his face. He hated coming here, but forced a smile onto his face as he approached the boy. "These are for you," he explained as he set the items down on the foot of the bed before sitting in the chair that Ororo had just vacated.

The boy looked up at him expectantly, "you need a bath," he informed the boy even as he choked on continuing to name a price. Jean had purchased new clothes for Cameron and he had been asked if he could convince the boy to wash up. The boy had only been in the mansion for one night and Remy thought they should wait longer before addressing this particular subject, but he didn't want to fight about it.

Remy watched the child carefully for any hesitation because he had no intent to force the request. Cameron turned his attention to the items on the bed before looking up at Remy again. Instinctively Remy knew he was assessing their value. "You can say no," Remy informed him while looking down at his own lap. He figured he was more nervous about the request then Cameron was because he hadn't wanted to ask at all.

"Mine?" Cameron asked forcing Remy to look back up.

Remy nodded in affirmation. "Yeah," he assured when Cameron continued to stare at him. "The bath was just an idea," he continued, "that's yours even if you don't want one."

Remy read the hesitation in the child's eyes as he reached for the small bear. He couldn't take credit for buying it, but they all knew that he would be the only one that Cameron would accept it from. Remy offered a small smile as the boy brought the bear close to himself. "Thank you," he said with beaming eyes.

Remy's smile turned into a frown as Cameron backed away from the other items and moved to sit against the headboard with his new bear. "It's all yours Cameron," he explained again without moving.

"Don't want a bath," he insisted and Remy could understand why he was hesitant. He wouldn't have wanted one either, there were too many things wrong with the request. Such a suggestion involved a lot of trust and Remy knew they hadn't built enough yet, but he had been told to ask.

"I told you it was yours anyways," Remy reiterated.

"No," he said as he shook his head and Remy watched tears fill his eyes.

He didn't have a backup idea and so he sat frozen as he thought about what he should say. He didn't know what he would have wanted to hear, no one had ever kept him safe this long. Their true price would have been long paid and he would once again have been alone on the streets. He knew that Cameron was confused and skeptical, but there was little he could say to assure the boy. "How 'bout you agree ta change your clothes?" Remy asked as an alternative.

Cameron nodded as he hugged the bear tightly to his chest.

"Please eat?" Remy asked hesitantly and hoped that it didn't sound like a demand. He was grateful when the boy picked up the other items before once again sitting against the headboard. "Thank you," he said with a smile that he knew should accompany the words.

"What do they want?" Cameron asked him quietly while eating.

"They just wanna help you," Remy assured as he stared at the edge of the bed.

"Why?" Cameron asked skeptically.

Remy sighed, "dat's what they do," he replied. He looked towards the door and longed to escape the room and the child's questions. He had the horrible task of assuring Cameron that the X-Men would help him far more then they had ever helped Remy. He was constantly torn by his contradicting emotions and simply wanted to walk away from this task.

"You trust them?" Cameron asked suspiciously as he once again stared at Remy intently.

"Yes," Remy lied because it was the answer he knew he should give.

"Okay," Cameron conceded the point as he placed the now empty plate back where Remy had originally set it.

"I gotta go," he informed Cameron as he stood and took the plate with him. "Stormy's gonna bring you those clothes," he added before opening the door.

"Can't you stay?" Cameron asked and Remy almost gave in to the kid's pleading.

"No," he said as he realized that he would soon be unable to control his tears. He had to get away immediately; he needed to be alone. Without pausing again he left the room and entered the main room of the medlab to find Hank hard at work. "Can you call Stormy back down here?" He asked the man before setting the empty bowl down on a table.

"Of course," Hank replied. "Is something wrong?" He questioned as he took in Remy's slightly shaky appearance.

Remy made sure to give him a charming grin as he replied, "non, mais Cameron needs new clothes and da girls. . ." he began.

"Ahh, yes that is an excellent idea," Hank agreed. Remy was grateful that Hank accepted his half-truth.

He took the elevator back to the first floor and quickly ran deep into the woods before climbing into a tree and allowing his tears to wash over him. He sat perched comfortably on a branch with one knee pulled up tightly against his chest and the other one dangling. He hated himself for hating Cameron, but he didn't know how to stop. He sat there a long time and was finally able to calm himself as he stared out into the horizon. He would continue to help; there was never any question of that. He just wasn't sure how to keep doing it without hating himself even more.

"Gumbo, come down here," Logan called from the ground below him.

"Non," Remy replied.

"We need to talk kid," Logan explained.

"Non."

"Cajun we need to talk about this," Logan tried again.

"I be fine Logan, merci," Remy tried the new approach.

"You are not fine kid," Logan insisted, "I can smell your tears from down here."

Remy quickly wiped at his eyes to make sure they were dry. "Don't know what ya mean," he assured.

"Do not start lying to me now kid," Logan replied adamantly. "Come down here so we can talk."

"Don't wanna talk Logan," he insisted.

Logan didn't know how else to approach Remy, the boy had gone out of his way to avoid him since he had admitted the truth. "You're doing a good job with Cameron," Logan complimented.

Remy couldn't stop the sob that escaped his mouth or the tears that renewed themselves as he heard Logan say the child's name. To the X-Men Remy was always Gumbo, or Cajun or kid; never Remy. To the X-men the boy would always be Cameron and it wasn't fair. Guilt hit him again because of his inexcusable jealousy.

"What did I say?" Logan asked confused as he heard Remy's small sob and realized that the boy was once again in tears.

"Just go away," Remy insisted as he forced away his tears.

Logan sat down at the bottom of the tree with his head propped against the large trunk. "I'm down here when you're ready," he assured.

"Why?" Remy asked from his position above.

"Cause ya gotta talk to someone kiddo," Logan replied.

Remy tightened his hold on his emotions and slid his usual cocky mask into place before jumping down from the tree. "Don't need to talk," he assured Logan before walking away.

Logan quickly got to his feet and followed him. "Sure you do," he insisted as he walked beside the younger man.

Remy stopped in his tracks after a few paces. "You may know my secret Logan mais that don't mean you know me," he insisted.

Logan sighed as he came to stand in front of Remy. "Then tell me kid," he asked. "Tell me why I keep hearin ya cryin. Tell me why you didn't want anyone to know you were helpin. Tell me why you been avoiding me. Tell me and maybe I can help."

"Nothin to help," Remy assured. "I be fine."

"You're not fine," Logan replied. "I promise I won't tell anyone about the LeBeau's," Logan had wanted to say those words since he left Remy's room the day before, but hadn't been given the opportunity until now.

Remy fumbled for a cigarette only now realizing how desperately he needed one. "Why you want to talk? You already know!" he demanded. "No need to remind me Logan, dey ain't real, I know dat." He furrowed his brows in sorrow as he spoke the words aloud. He so desperately wished that they had been real.

"I'm sorry kid," Logan replied. "These tears though, they ain't about that," he insisted. "That's what we need to talk about."

"Stay away from me," Remy insisted before walking away. If Logan persisted then he would inevitably find out the truth about the hatred and jealousy that he unfairly felt towards the boy.

Logan let him go without further protest, but vowed to keep trying.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for your encouragement! Callie


	4. Chapter 4

chapter 4:

He had been on his way to work on his Harley, but as he opened the garage door it sat in his way. It didn't block the door, in fact it was tucked away in some empty space to make sure it wasn't in the main path, but when he saw it he stopped. He didn't even remember walking towards it; if he had noticed what he was doing he would have turned and walked away. Instead he didn't notice until he touched the smooth surface with the palm of his hand.

"Hey," Logan said from the doorway behind him and he quickly pulled his hand away and turned around.

"Hi," he replied as he felt like he had been caught doing something wrong.

"Jean picked out a nice bike don't ya think?" Logan asked as he nodded in Remy's direction.

He turned back around to again look at the brand new blue bike that sat sparkling in front of him. The seat had black and yellow racing stripes and a matching helmet dangled from one handle. It was perfect in every way imaginable. "Yeah," he managed to force the word out fairly easily; he was getting better at pretending.

"You gonna teach the kid how to ride?" Logan asked as he moved closer.

"Non," Remy insisted as he forced his eyes away from the bike once again.

"Why not?" Logan questioned. "He ain't gonna like anyone else doin it," Logan continued and Remy tried to think of an excuse that would lead to a quick exit.

"Don't know how," Remy informed him. "Never had a bike," it seemed that the truth was as good of an excuse as any.

"You got a bike kiddo," he countered and they both knew he meant the Harley. That old, well worn bike was his most prized possession. It had taken him years of saving every penny that he could find or earn before he was finally able to afford it. It had never been pretty or new, but it was his.

"Oui, mais dis," he began as he pointed once again to the small bike, "dis Remy don't understand."

"It ain't that hard," Logan informed him.

"Maybe you teach him, oui," Remy countered.

Logan chuckled at the comment. "I'm gonna be workin on my bike, wanna give me a hand?"

"Non," Remy replied with a shake of his head. His own idea to work peacefully on his had evaporated at the site of the little blue bike that would now taunt him. That was one more check for the child downstairs, and one more zero for him. "Got stuff to do," he insisted as he walked outside.

Logan nodded and let him leave without further comment. He had been pushing the kid to talk for the last few days and had given up on the direct approach. By now Remy must realize that he can come to him but just in case he didn't, Logan made sure he kept a close eye on him anyways. The change in Remy the last few days had been so drastic that Logan wondered why no one else had noticed. He was sure that Xavier had, but the man never said anything about it. Remy was suddenly doing everything right; he didn't even fight about doing his chores or having early morning practices. Despite the sudden obedience Remy seemed tired and unfocused most of the time. There were so many reasons to worry that Logan had simply stopped looking for more.

Remy rounded the corner of the building and found Warren and Bobby playing basketball. He made sure to stay out of view as he watched for a few minutes. They had never let him join them before and would probably just berate him for watching so he was careful not to get caught. He once again found himself envisioning how easily they would welcome Cameron into the game and even teach him how to play. It wasn't that Remy didn't know how to play; he sometimes played with Logan and Hank. Even Scott on occasion would shoot around with him, but it wasn't the same. He had never been accepted by a large fraction of the X-Men, and they had never even explained why.

He walked back in the same direction that he had come because he had no desire of a confrontation. He sat down on the swing on the front porch and stared out at nothing. It was calm outside and he had no desire to go back in. He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting in peaceful silence when a hand touched his shoulder startling him.

"My apologizes," Storm insisted as she sat down next to him.

"Stormy," he breathed the name out almost in relief.

"What troubles you brother?" she asked as she snuggled up against him.

"Everything's bien," he replied even though he hated lying to her.

She turned to him and pushed the hair out of his face and tucked it behind his ear. "Please tell me," she insisted again as she then pushed his sunglasses up to the top of his head.

He resisted the urge to tear them back down and instead turned away. "Ain't nothing to tell," he insisted.

"You seem distant," she commented.

"Non, just tired," he admitted, it was partially the truth. He forced his poker face back into place and looked back at her with a fake grin.

"Remy," she breathed his name and it sounded almost like she was scolding him.

He smiled despite her skepticism and pulled her closer to him. She allowed it without any sign of protest. "Love you Stormy," he whispered more for himself then for her.

"I love you too Remy," she assured him. "Would you care to help me in the greenhouse? I have some new flowers to plant."

He couldn't help laughing, "so dat is why you come looking for Remy, Oui?"

"That is not the only reason," she insisted, "we haven't spent much time together lately." Remy nodded. "Will you help me?" she continued.

"Oui," he said happily as he realized she had simply come looking for him. It felt so incredibly wonderful to know that she hadn't searched for him simply to help the child downstairs.

"Thank you," she replied, but made no move to stand up.

"You don't mean right now Stormy?" he asked confused.

"No," she replied casually, "it's so peaceful perhaps we could sit a few more moments."

"Oui," he agreed wholeheartedly. At least Stormy was still his and he hoped that wouldn't change.

"Cameron has grown so found of you," she commented happily.

He tensed immediately and cursed her need to speak about him when he had only now begun to relax. "He be likin you now too," he replied as he settled his sunglasses back upon his face.

"It was a compliment Remy. There is no need for you to be angry," she spoke softly as she tried to look him in the eye only to find his dark glasses back in place.

"I ain't angry," he insisted while flashing another forced grin.

She frowned deeply as she sensed the sudden change in his mood. "Why are you so hesitant to talk about the child?" she asked gently.

"Just remembered I gotta help Logan wit somthin," he lied as he untangled himself from her and stood up.

She stood up with him and grabbed a hold of his hand. "Remy you don't have to hide from me," she insisted.

"Ain't hidin," he tried to convince her. "I be helpin you wit the greenhouse later," he promised as he tried to pull his hand away.

She let it go after a moment, "alright," she agreed and watched him walk into the house sadly.

He walked into the front door and almost immediately was stopped by jean as he walked down the hall. "Gambit," she greeted with a smile. "I was just looking for you."

"I be busy Jean," he informed her. It was mostly a lie, but he was also currently running from Stormy so that could be considered busy couldn't it?

The grin stayed on her face, but she hesitated a moment before continuing, "I was hoping you would bring Cameron some dinner," she asked.

"He be takin it from you now," he opposed. It was true; Cameron had finally started accepting the others. Remy was very relieved to no longer need to convince the child every time they had something to give him.

"Yes," she acknowledged, "but he has been asking for you."

"Told you, I be busy," he countered.

"Too busy to spend a little time with him?" she questioned harshly.

He frowned as he was no longer able to keep up his allusion. He tried to think fast of any reason to not go downstairs, "gotta help Logan wit somthin." He used the lie again and was amused that at least he had been consistent.

"Right now?" she questioned still irritated.

"Oui," he informed her before walking around her towards the garage. He would now just have to hope that Logan was still in there and willing to play along. He had no reason to think that the man would back up his story, but it was too late to think of a new one.

He was well aware that she had followed him because her heals sounded loudly on the floor behind him. He was intensely aware that she would question Logan about his story and it angered him even more. What right did she have to order him around? As he reached the door to the garage his heart raced in anticipation.

"Hey kid," Logan said as he looked up at the sound of the door opening.

Remy let out a breath that he hardly realized he had been holding. "Came to help ya like you said," he stuttered over the words and hoped Logan could read between the lines as Jean entered behind him.

Logan appraised them for a second before replying, "thanks kid, I can really use your help here."

"Can't it wait?" Jean questioned as she stopped to stand a few inches in front of Remy.

Remy bit his lip as he looked at Logan and shook his head slightly when the man glanced at him. He held his breath and willed the man to play along. He would be willing to do anything if Logan would just say no.

"Naw Red, Gumbo and I gotta get this done," he pointed to the Harley he was working on and tried to think of what to tell her was so pressing if she asked.

"Fine," she said before walking away. She knew that she didn't absolutely need Remy, but had hoped he would agree to come down anyways.

"Merci," Remy gushed after he saw the door close behind Jean.

"I ain't gonna lie for you again so you better have a good reason for dragging me into whatever that was," he informed the younger man.

"Ain't got a good reason," he replied. He knew that he couldn't tell Logan the real reason, no one could ever understand.

"Sure you don't," Logan snickered with a shake of his head. "Well I guess you gotta help me now," he added sounding more lighthearted.

"Oui," Remy conceded.

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the chapter mix-up and thanks again BlkDiamond for letting me know :) Thanks also to everyone who has reviewed! This story seems to be writing itself, the next chapter should be up soon. ~Callie


	5. Chapter 5

Remy idly mixed his cereal around his bowl with a spoon as he sat in the kitchen with Ororo. Every few minutes he'd eat a spoonful then go back to mixing the rest of the contents. "Remy," Ororo said his name as she tried to break him of his thoughts.

"Oui?" he asked as he set the spoon down and pushed the bowl away.

"Since when do you eat Lucky Charms?" she asked with a soft laugh.

He joined her laugher as he looked down at his half-eaten bowl. So that's why they tasted so bad, he mused. He gave a shrug as he stood up and dumped the rest down the garbage disposal and then put his bowl in the dishwasher. "Wrong box," he finally replied.

"I am worried about you brother," Storm explained.

"Worried? Ain't nothing to worry 'bout," he assured.

"I did not mean to upset you yesterday," she informed him.

"Wasn't upset," he told her. Why couldn't she and Logan just leave it alone? He was doing the best he could, but if they kept pressing he would eventually tell them about his jealousy. Then he'd really have nothing, no family, no friends and no home. He couldn't let that happen.

"Why does Cameron upset you so much?" she questioned as she stood from the table and walked towards him.

"He don't upset me, just don't wanna talk 'bout him all de time," Remy insisted. He had thought a lot about what response would work best the next time she brought it up and this was all he had come up with. He knew it had been stupid to run away from her the way he did the day before and he hoped this excuse would reassure her worry.

"Fair enough," Storm replied before hugging him close. Her worry for him had not been eased by the words, but she realized that it wasn't fair of them to constantly shower Cameron with attention at the expense of others such as her brother. She would simply need to remind him of how important he was as well. "Now I believe you promised to help me with the greenhouse," she teased as she pulled away from him.

"Oui," he conceded with a grin. He was thankful that she dropped the topic so easily. "Anything for you petite," he said as he took her outstretched hand.

She pulled him out of the room and headed up to her loft humming quietly. She greatly enjoyed spending time with Remy and he was the only one who didn't complain about helping her with her plants. Well he may complain, but they both knew he wasn't serious when he did.

Remy was grateful for the distraction and determined to spend the entire day upstairs. It wasn't simply to stay away from Cameron, although that was a great bonus. He simply wanted to enjoy a day helping his Stormy and hoped it would make him feel wanted just for being himself. He was losing that feeling more and more each day as his guilt grew.

He was able to spend most of the day upstairs, until their work was interrupted by a phone call. When he got the call summoning him to Xavier's office he tried to think of anything that he had done wrong. Nothing came to mind; he had purposely been obedient because he had no desire to draw attention to himself. As he walked towards the Professor's office he realized that his plan had obviously backfired. It wasn't surprising to him, he often found that his best intentions where never quite good enough.

He knocked on the closed door and tried to calm his apprehension. Xavier beckoned him inside and Remy opened the door hesitantly before walking in and closing it behind him. His dread wouldn't leave him as he walked across the room and sat down in front of the Professor's desk.

"Hello Remy," Xavier greeted warmly with a welcoming smile.

"Professor," Remy acknowledged with a nod of his head. He wanted to get this over with; if he was getting reprimanded then he wanted to know why immediately.

"I wanted to thank you for all of your help with Cameron," Xavier stated with the same warm, welcoming smile still upon his face.

"Ain't nothin to thank," Remy insisted as he looked away. Why did people feel the need to obsessively thank him for something he loathed doing?

"This is for you," Xavier informed him as he pulled out a box from behind his desk.

"Why?" Remy asked as he hesitantly took the offered package.

"You've earned it Remy," Xavier assured him. "It's just a small token of appreciation." Xavier wasn't sure why Remy was so hesitant to accept the gift.

Remy lifted the top off the box and pulled the object out from within. He pressed a button that extended it and stared in awe at the collapsible bo-staff in his hands. Tears sparkled in his eyes as he held the gift with reverence before he remembered why it had been given. "I can't take it," he said as his joy turned to shame. He pressed a button to compress it and set it down upon the Professor's desk sadly. He longed to keep it, but knew he didn't deserve it. Not when he still so adamantly hated the small boy that they had taken in.

"Why not?" Xavier asked concerned. There was no doubt that Remy loved the bo-staff and he had certainly earned it. Xavier had been preparing the gift for months, but now seemed the most appropriate time to give it. It had been hand-crafted and he had hoped it would make Remy feel more welcome.

Remy stared at it with longing shining brightly in his eyes. "Don't deserve it," Remy informed him as he forced himself to look away from the object.

"If I believed that I wouldn't have given it to you," Xavier replied.

"Can I go?" Remy asked sadly without looking up at the Professor.

"I would rather you told me what was wrong," Xavier requested. "You haven't been yourself lately."

"Ain't done nothin wrong," Remy insisted nervously as he looked up at the Professor alarmed. The last thing he wanted was to get kicked out of the mansion; he had nowhere else to go.

"That is not what I meant," Xavier assured as Remy grew increasingly upset. His own worry was increasing at the alarming response from the younger man. "You have seemed uncharacteristically nervous," Xavier informed him. "Did something happen that I should be aware of?"

"Non," Remy assured with a fake smile that he couldn't really keep in place. "If I ain't done nothin wrong, then can I go?" Remy asked. His only desire at the moment was to escape Xavier's scrutiny.

Xavier considered his options carefully, but understood Remy's point as well. "I am not stopping you," Xavier assured because he didn't want to make the situation even worse.

"Merci," Remy replied as he quickly slipped out of the chair and walked towards the door.

"Remy," Xavier said stopping him. "This is yours," he offered the bo-staff once again.

"Non," Remy replied as he opened the door and walked away.

Logan caught a glimpse of Remy walking past the rec room and couldn't help looking up after him as he ran up the stairs. The smell of fear hit him and he worried what it was about. He knew that questioning Remy would do nothing so he turned and walked in the opposite direction instead.

The door to Xavier's office was open and the man inside looked concerned. "Was the Cajun just in here?" Logan asked as he stepped into the room.

"I am worried about him," Xavier replied with a nod. "He is hiding something, and I am unsure of what it is."

"He's a good kid," Logan insisted.

"I do not doubt that," Xavier replied before setting down the bo-staff that Remy had left behind.

"Is that for him?"

Xavier nodded with a frown, "he refused it."

Logan shook his head in disbelief, "why would Gumbo do that?"

"I am uncertain and that has me worried. Can you keep an eye on him?" He requested.

"Already doing that," Logan informed him.

"Do you know anything that I should be aware of?" Xavier questioned.

"Nothin I can tell ya," Logan replied. He was tempted to tell Xavier about the LeBeau's but he had promised Remy that he wouldn't, so he'd keep it to himself for now.

"Logan if you know anything it would be best to tell me," Xavier pressed.

"He's been jumpy ever since we brought the kid home," Logan acknowledged offering a hint at his own thoughts about the situation.

"Being reminded of his own childhood must be difficult," Xavier admitted. "He has been absolutely essential to Cameron's adjustment; however he seems to think he is a detriment."

"He avoids seeing the kid," Logan admitted. "I ain't sure exactly why, but it's obvious."

"Are you sure?" Xavier questioned. He had been focusing his attentions on Cameron, not Remy so he hadn't noticed the same things that Logan had.

"Now that he's got the boy trustin us, he hasn't gone down more than once a day." Logan replied. "He used me to get out of it last night," Logan wasn't going to let him do it again, but at the time couldn't deny the kid his help.

"Do you have a theory?" Xavier questioned.

"Got a couple," Logan admitted. "Not sure about anything though."

"Anything you care to share?"

"Naw, I'm just guessing right now," he admitted.

"I am deeply troubled," Xavier informed him once again.

"He was scared when he walked out of here," Logan felt he needed to inform Xavier.

"I didn't mean to alarm him," Xavier replied with a deep frown. "Earlier I believed that we had focused too much of our attention on Cameron and that Remy felt we had neglected to thank him for his efforts, but my conversation with him led me to believe the opposite is true."

Logan nodded, "Ro said the same thing. He gets mad when you bring up Cameron."

"I don't want to upset him further by demanding he explain," Xavier replied concerned, "but we must find out what is wrong."

"He ain't talkin," Logan informed him.

"That does not mean we should stop trying," Xavier insisted.

"Didn't say we should," Logan assured as he walked towards the door.

Logan walked up the stairs towards his room, and stopped by Remy's room on his way to his own mostly because it had become routine by now. He knocked softly before speaking, "Remy, you okay in there?"

"Oui," came the regular reply, "just go 'way Logan."

Logan sighed, but moved on like he was asked. He had done that nightly since he stopped pushing Remy to talk. He wasn't sure how else to get the Cajun to open up, and since talking to the Professor he realized that none of them really knew.

Inside the room Remy sat staring out his window at the evening sky when he heard Logan knock. He expected the visit by now, but still wasn't ready to talk to the man. He would never admit it, but he was very thankful that Logan cared enough to check on him nightly even though he never let him in. It allowed him to pretend someone cared about him and not just about how he could help the child that they had all grown so attached to.


	6. Chapter 6

Logan sat down beside Remy at the base of the tree and was relieved that the boy didn't run. He wasn't mad that Remy didn't acknowledge him he was just happy that he chose to stay. He sat close enough that he could hear Remy's quiet breathing, but far enough away so that they weren't touching. He allowed silence to settle upon them and waited for Remy to make the first move. After what seemed like ages to Logan, Remy shifted closer so that they were just barely touching. He put his arm around the boy's shoulder realizing his unspoken desire to be touched. He had woken Remy from enough nightmares to realize the boy's need to be held at times.

They continued to sit in silence like that as the daylight faded. "You don't have to stay out here," Remy finally spoke before pulling away and moving over.

"Why ain't ya at the carnival?" Logan asked the question that he had planned on asking when he first started searching for the Cajun. Scott and Jean had taken Cameron to the carnival and he knew several of the other X-Men had gone along. When he heard that Remy hadn't he had sought the boy.

Remy shrugged and looked away, "wasn't invited."

Logan sighed, he knew it hadn't been 'invite only.' No one had purposely excluded him, but Logan wouldn't berate him for that. Instead he asked, "did you want ta go?"

"No," Remy replied without looking back.

Logan waited for Remy to continue but when it became obvious that the boy wouldn't he asked, "do you like carnivals kid?"

He was rewarded with more silence before Remy turned back and studied his face, "ain't never been to one," he admitted softly before dropping his eyes back to his knees.

"Wanna go?" he asked surprising himself as much as the boy beside him.

Remy brought surprised eyes up to meet his and struggled to control the pool of tears that swam in them. For a moment Logan thought he'd say yes but suddenly the eyes turned unreadable and he firmly replied, "no."

"You might like it," Logan replied. "Seems like your kind of place, lots of people lots of fun." He wasn't sure why he was pressing the issue, he hated carnivals. Unfortunately he couldn't ignore that he was certain Remy wanted to go. If that's all it took to get the kid back to normal then he could endure a few hours of misery.

"You'd really go?" Remy asked without looking back at him.

"Yeah kid, I'd go," he assured.

"With me?" Remy asked with a sense of desperation that Logan had never heard in his voice before.

"Yeah kid, with you. Say the word and we'll go." With that he thought he had gotten through to the kid, he was even getting ready to stand up and get going.

"Non," Remy replied. "Merci Logan."

"Wanna go somewhere else kiddo?" He asked.

"Non," Remy insisted.

"How 'bout Harry's?" Logan tried again.

"No," Remy said again as he stood up.

Logan stood up quickly as well, "You can sit back down kiddo I ain't gonna make ya go anywhere."

"Why'd you come out here Logan?" Remy asked.

"I'm worried about you kiddo."

"Why?" was the unexpected response as Remy scrambled to prepare a defense.

"You've been actin different Remy, what's wrong? Ever since that kid came you've been walking around like you're waiting to get thrown out. He ain't a replacement for you Cajun, he's just a kid." Logan ranted as all his frustration came rushing out at once.

Remy walked away and Logan punched the tree that they had been sitting against. He hadn't meant to say any of that. Logan chose not to go after Remy; he knew he'd just make things worse. So he sat back down at the base of the tree and tried to come up with a new approach.

He sat there alone in silence and lost track of time. When a shadow briefly passed over him he was surprised to find that Remy had returned. He smiled up in greeting and gestured for the boy to sit back down. When Remy shook his head Logan stood up from the ground to stand beside him. Logan stayed quiet in hopes that if he didn't make any demands then Remy would talk to him.

"Don't want people thanking me," Remy finally admitted.

Logan leaned against the tree before replying. "Why's that?"

"I ain't done nothin," Remy wouldn't let Logan catch his eyes.

"You've got the kid trusting us Gumbo," he said carefully, "that's something."

"Didn't need me for that," Remy insisted.

"I think we did."

"Can you make them stop?" Remy asked.

"Stop what kid?"

"Thanking me."

"Why are you shy and jumpy all of a sudden? It ain't like you."

"Ain't done nothin wrong," Remy defended.

"Then why do you keep defending yourself like that?"

"Why won't everyone leave me alone?"

Logan pondered the question as his concern continued to grow. The boy before him had always enjoyed being the center of attention and this complete turnaround was startling. "Cajun we're just worried."

"About what?"

"About you," Logan explained once again.

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong," Remy admitted.

"Tell me what's bothering you kid," Logan suggested.

"Nothing."

"Remy, what's going on?"

His eyes watered when he heard his name, Logan never called him by his name. He needed to believe that the man really cared. He needed to believe that he wasn't going to be kicked out for admitting the truth. He needed someone to believe him. "I'm sorry," he admitted as tears broke through his mask.

"Oh shit, don't cry," Logan said as he was caught off-guard by the breakdown.

"I'm sorry," Remy repeated as he turned around and forced himself not to flee. He tried to wipe the tears away, but they persisted. He needed to tell someone, "why do you stop at my room every night?" he questioned through tears.

Logan sensed the importance of the question and confirmed the truth, "because I care."

"I gotta tell someone," he whispered the admission almost wishing that Logan wouldn't hear him.

"Tell me," Logan encouraged.

"It's not fair."

"What's not fair?" Logan resisted the urge to turn the boy around to face him as he continued to smell salty tears.

"I ain't got nowhere else to go," Remy admitted softly.

"No one's asking you to leave."

"You will," Remy turned around to face him. His eyes looked lost, but they were no longer wet with tears.

"Stop talkin in circles and tell me what's going on. You gotta know you can trust me by now Remy."

"He's staying," Remy stated without any question in his voice.

"Probably," Logan confirmed. "They haven't been able to find relatives, so I think Slim and Jean are gonna try to adopt him."

Remy nodded, "where would you go if you left here?"

"I ain't leaving," Logan replied.

"But where would you go?"

"You ain't leaving."

"It ain't fair," Remy insisted again.

"What Remy? What's not fair?" Logan felt he needed to push a little bit more to get to the heart of the problem. He wanted, needed to figure out what was wrong. They were all worried, even Scott was unnerved by the sudden lack of rebellion in Remy.

"What did I do wrong Logan? What?"

"Kid, you didn't do anything wrong. We're just worried about you."

"Why does everyone hate me? What did I do? Why's he so much better?" The plea in his voice was evident as a few small tears escaped from the corners of his eyes.

That wasn't an admission that he had been prepared for. "No one hates you," Logan tried to assure.

"Thought it was cause I was from the streets, mais den I try to talk about da LeBeaus and dat not help. Den I pretend to be rich and dat not help."

"Maybe you need to stop pretending," Logan offered when nothing else came to mind. Remy grew quiet and simply watched him so Logan continued, "he's a scared little kid Remy. People are trying to assure him. You were neither scared nor a kid when you got here, guess we just assumed you didn't need special attention." He may not have been scared when he first came to the mansion, but Logan knew that at that particular moment the boy before him was terrified. What he wasn't sure about was why.

Remy had looked down at the ground and as Logan watched him he wondered if he was wrong, was Remy still a kid? "Am I wrong?" Logan asked after he had given Remy plenty of time to respond.

Remy looked up startled with dry eyes, "what?"

"Were you a kid when you got here?" Logan explained without complaint, "Where you scared and we just didn't notice?" He wasn't asking to hurt Remy; he simply needed to know if they had been wrong about him from day one.

"You can grow up fast if you need to," Remy's answer evaded his question.

"Okay so maybe scared wasn't the right word," Logan conceded. "You've been through worse then moving into a mansion."

"Only came 'cause of Stormy," Remy replied.

"And why'd you stay?"'

Remy shrugged before he changed his mind and said, "you ever lived on the streets?"

"Not that I remember," Logan answered honestly.

"Didn't wanna go back," Remy answered.

Logan nodded, "I swear kid I'll never let you go back to that." Logan was careful about his promises; he never made one that he didn't intend to keep. This was one he would always keep. He never wanted the boy before him to go back to the dangerous world he had grown up in. "So if that's what you are so scared of then stop. It ain't gonna happen Remy."

"You ain't always here Logan," Remy reminded him.

"You really think Scott would let that happen? What about Chuck?" Logan knew he couldn't promise to stay, but he didn't worry that something would happen when he was gone.

"I don't know," Remy replied.

"Chuck tried to give ya a gift," Logan reminded him and Remy looked away. "Why didn't you accept it?"

"Don't deserve it," Remy said quietly as he continued to look away.

"What makes you think that?" Logan asked hoping to get some sort of answer.

"I didn't want to help him," Remy whispered.

"I know," Logan acknowledged, "but you did help him Remy. That's what matters, you did help him." He hoped that emphasizing that would assure Remy.

"I don't want to help him," Remy admitted as he looked back at Logan through his bangs.

Logan nodded slowly, "why's that?" He asked quietly, carefully, without any judgment in his voice. He knew he was close to the true issue and he didn't want to scare Remy away from admitting it.

"Can't tell you," Remy insisted before turning and walking away again.

Once again Logan could do nothing but let him go. Whatever the reason, it was eating at the kid, and Logan hoped he could get through to him before it was too late.


End file.
